Community Is A Nutrient

Community is a nutrient. Did you know that social isolation can lead to inflammation in the body, stress, anxiety, and depression? When we view our physical systems holistically, meaning that we see our emotional and physical health as interrelated, community is an uncompromising ingredient to our wellbeing. Social connectedness and a sense of belonging are central to living a happy and fulfilling life. The Buddha referred to “sangha” or a community of friends aligned in spiritual practice as one of the three ways to take refuge. Similarly, Ayurveda teaches that in the three pillars of life: food, sleep and relationships, a sense of belonging is an essential nutrient. In a time of increasing rates of loneliness, community, where we can laugh, eat, cry, sing, dance and feel all the ways we are deeply human, is so deeply necessary. Wisdom traditions throughout time have acknowledged this and La Maida aims to do the same.